PA_Philadelphia7

BASICS: Philadelphia Youth Study Center, Pennsylvania. A secure detention facility, licensed for 103 residents, today they have 135. Juveniles are here from 1-10 days, although there are exceptions. The Director is Marq Temple, a nice guy who started at basic level 29 years ago and moved up. The facility is currently located in a remodeled psychiatric institute while the original building (built in 1952) undergoes renovation until January 2012.

PICTURED: A, came over in the gym and wanted to talk. He is from Puerto Rico. He doesn’t have a father that he knows. His mother visits every Monday. He dropped out of school two years ago. He is 18. This is his first time here. He has been here for 3 months on a weapons charge. (Somebody snitched) He lives in “The Badlands" (North Philadelphia). He had a gun “to defend myself.” He has brothers age 14, 17 and 21. As well as two sisters. He is part of a program where the family gets to visit if the kid is on some sort of honors program. They share feelings, frequently the inmate apologizes for the pain he has caused his family. A's younger brother cried when he described how much he missed his brother. The director said it was one of the most moving events in 29 years there.